"We have to be grateful because all Indonesian crew members, including those from Bali, were safe in the sea accident in Italy and I think they need to return soon to take a rest at home, except those who want to find another job in the country," Pastika said here on Tuesday.

Pastika said that based on the latest data which was made available to him, there were 53 crew members from Bali on board the ill-fated cruise ship.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Ministry Information and Media Director PLE Priatna said in Jakarta on Monday that all 170 Indonesian crew members of Costa Concordia survived in the sea accident.

Quoting an information from Indonesian Embassy in Rome, Italy, Priatna said it had been confirmed that no Indonesian nationals were among 40 people who remained missing.

Costa Concordia was on a trip around the Mediterranean when it hit a reef near the Isola del Giglio and ran aground off the Italian coast on Friday, forcing the coast guard to evacuate over 4,000 people.

Most of the 3,200 passengers including 170 Indonesians among 1,000 crew members had been evacuated had been evacuated in the accident.

Priatna said the Indonesian Embassy in Rome was swift to help distribute additional food and clothing to the Indonesian crew members of the ill-fated ship.

Meanwhile, Rome embassy spokesman Musrifun said the company which operated the ill-fated ship would facilitate the repatriation of Indonesian crew members to their home country.

Musrifun said most of the Indonesian crew members who survived in the accident had lost their passports and other belongings and therefore the embassy in Rome would provide them with letters of trip like passports.
(Uu.O001/H-NG)